UFC's Dana White: "Yushin Okami is the best fighter to ever come out of Japan"

Yushin Okami may train with Chael Sonnen, but he has none of the bravado that helps to sell fights.

Dana White does.

During a media call today in support of UFC 134, which takes place Aug. 27 at HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, the UFC president made a bold statement in support of the current middleweight contender.

“In my opinion, Yushin Okami is the best fighter to ever come out of Japan,” White interjected to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) when Okami was asked about the stakes of his title fight against reigning champ Anderson Silva.

“This guy didn’t come up fighting cans and get this built-up, mythological record,” White said in an obvious swipe at the now-defunct PRIDE promotion. “This guy’s been fighting the absolute best for years, and I’m sure he feels and a lot of people feel this guy hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves.

“Now he’s going in against the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, probably the best fighter ever in mixed martial arts. If he wins this fight, (not only) will he get the credit that he finally deserves, but he will be the best in the world.”

The soft-spoken Okami shied away from big proclamations, but he did speak to a greater purpose in his title opportunity. The earthquake that devastated Japan this past March has motivated him to perform at his best.

“Japan is suffering, and (it’s a) very difficult situation,” he said. “But those people are cheering me. When I bring the belt back to Japan, it will add one more boost to Japanese recovery.”

Countless interviewers have asked Okami (26-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC) about his previous fight with Silva (28-4 MMA, 13-0 UFC), which took place more than five years ago and ended in his favor when the now-champ was disqualified for an illegal upkick. But it’s not a subject of interest to the challenger.

“I thought that was just an accident, and this is an old story,” he said. “So I’m not talking about that too much. I’m concentrating and focusing on my next fight.”

Okami dispatched three consecutive opponents en route to his fight with Silva, and he sports one of the best records in the UFC, though an abundance of decision victories and a lack of proficiency in English haven’t done him many favors in winning hordes of fans.

Whether he’s in reality the best fighter to come out of Japan is, of course, a matter of debate. But Okami has earned the right to vie for Silva’s belt, even if he may not be able to promote the event that hosts it.

For the latest on the UFC 134 card, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.